Golden Globes are a winner-take-all for oddsmakers

CaptionRed carpet watch

Jason H. Neubert / Los Angeles Times

By Patrick Kevin Day, Los Angeles Times Initial reports stated that a sewage pipe had burst near the Beverly Hilton, flooding the red carpet. But the actual problem was a sprinkler malfunction, depositing a much cleaner form of water under the feet of Hollywood's most hoity-toity. Still, in the ulta-controlled, ultra-pampered world of awards shows, even a minor malfunction such as this merited extensive discussion in the media. At least the weather remained pleasant.

By Patrick Kevin Day, Los Angeles Times Initial reports stated that a sewage pipe had burst near the Beverly Hilton, flooding the red carpet. But the actual problem was a sprinkler malfunction, depositing a much cleaner form of water under the feet of Hollywood's most hoity-toity. Still, in the ulta-controlled, ultra-pampered world of awards shows, even a minor malfunction such as this merited extensive discussion in the media. At least the weather remained pleasant. (Jason H. Neubert / Los Angeles Times)

Matthew McConaughey apparently did not walk the red carpet for 25 minutes after arriving at the Globes. Instead, he signed autographs and posed for "selfies." And for that, the E! anchors Ross Mathews and Kelly Osbourne spoke of the "Dallas Buyers Club" actor as though he'd arrived with a limo full of orphans and the cure for cancer in his back pocket. Standing on the red carpet, apparently, does not help give anyone a healthy sense of perspective.

Matthew McConaughey apparently did not walk the red carpet for 25 minutes after arriving at the Globes. Instead, he signed autographs and posed for "selfies." And for that, the E! anchors Ross Mathews and Kelly Osbourne spoke of the "Dallas Buyers Club" actor as though he'd arrived with a limo full of orphans and the cure for cancer in his back pocket. Standing on the red carpet, apparently, does not help give anyone a healthy sense of perspective. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

In Sunday's Golden Globes, "12 Years a Slave" looks to be the clear favorite (1-4) among dramas. Meanwhile, "American Hustle" (1-5) appears to be an easy pick over "The Wolf of Wall Street" (4-1). "Inside Llewyn Davis" is the longshot at 30-1.

At least that's the way Bovada, an Internet oddsmaker, sees it. The gambling site, which handicaps everything from NFL games (which you'd expect) to the hair color of future British kings (which you might not), has broken down the awards show into more than a dozen categories.

Bovada's Kevin Bradley says the Golden Globes get a fair amount of action. The Oscars are the Super Bowl of entertainment bets, he says, and betting limits are raised from $100 to $500.

Cate Blanchett is a 1-8 favorite to win lead actress for "Blue Jasmine" (fractional bets less than 1 generally indicate a heavy fave). Chiwetel Ejiofor of "12 Years a Slave" is the top pick to win the lead actor award at 10-11. Robert Redford is second, at 9-4, for "All Is Lost."

In the musical-comedy category, "The Wolf of Wall Street's" Leonardo DiCaprio (5-7) and "Nebraska's" Bruce Dern (5-4) are the favorites among the men; "American Hustle's" Amy Adams and "August: Osage County's" Meryl Streep are tied at 7-5 atop the actress category.

In TV dramas, "Breaking Bad" is a 2-5 favorite over "House of Cards" (7-4).

See what the stars had to say before and during the Golden Globe Awards. Golden Globes 2014: Full coverage | Show highlights | Top winners and nominees | Red carpet arrivals | Best & Worst | Complete list | Main story | Nominee reactions

"12 Years a Slave" went into the 71st Golden Globe Awards on Sunday night with seven nominations but was passed over again and again. That is, until the last award of the evening, and arguably the best of them all. The harrowing portrayal of slavery in America took home the prize for best drama...